So many men go bald and nearly all women seem to have heads full of hair. The question, naturally is if baldness discriminates on the basis of gender. That would be grossly unfair. Well, it would be unfair but the fact is even women suffer from hair loss. And if there is something that goes by the expression 'male pattern baldness', there is also a thing called 'female pattern baldness'.

Of course, there is no denying the fact that baldness is more prevalent and more apparent in males than in females. However, women suffer more than men when they sense that they are losing hair at an abnormal pace because females tend to attach a great deal of importance to the quality and quantity of hair. And why shouldn't it be, given the fact that hair are an integral part of feminine charm.

In some cases, female baldness can be hereditary. Mostly, menopause brings hair loss in women, which is determined by one's genetic heritage. In other words, if a female loses hair in menopausal stage, it is because her mother

too suffered from hair loss at that particular stage of her life.

Another cause for female baldness are certain ailments, especially those that come with extended bouts of high fever. Among them are typhoid fever and scarlet fever. Such fevers are a medically established cause of hair loss. There are certain medications, the use of which may also result in hair loss. But in such cases hair loss is gradual.

Malnutrition and a dysfunctional endocrine system have also been found to trigger a slow hair loss.

Fungal infections can also cause hair loss. These fungal infections are chronic bacterial attacks or a result of the presence of ringworms.

Chemotherapy tends to destroy all the rapidly developing cells including the hair follicles, as they also consist of active cells. The baldness thus caused is not temporary but total.

A condition called Alopecia universalis also causes permanent loss of body hair including those on the head and those that form the eyelashes and eyebrows. The causes of the ailment is not fully known and the research is on in this area.

What is quite apparent is a fact that female hair loss does not set in early phase of life unless there are some other reasons for it, like some ailment or malnutrition. So, no cause for beauty-worries for the young ladies and for the relatively older ones, too. Things are pretty much bright unless the genes are unfavourable.